The invention relates to a system for the coordination of at least one vehicle function of a motor vehicle, which vehicle function is further developed such that it can be activated and deactivated (in the following called a “switchable vehicle function”).
Vehicles having an integrated, automatic engine stop-start function are known, where, as a function of existing first vehicle operating conditions (for example, triggered by a vehicle speed below a defined speed limit and the operation of the clutch pedal and/or brake pedal) an engine stop function is automatically initiated, by which the internal-combustion engine is switched-off and, where, when second vehicle operating conditions are present (based on an active engine stop function—for example, triggered by the simultaneous operation of the brake pedal and the gas pedal), the internal-combustion engine is automatically started by the automatic engine start function. Such an automatic engine stop-start function, as a possible switchable vehicle function in the sense of the invention, as a rule, is only switched active when the battery charge condition is a predefined minimum battery charge condition.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system for the coordination of at least one switchable vehicle function, which ensures a further reduction of the fuel consumption and, particularly, a further reduction of the emissions generated during the vehicle operation.
According to the invention, a system is provided for the coordination of at least one vehicle function of a motor vehicle, which vehicle function is further developed such that it can be activated and deactivated. A motor vehicle includes a drive unit constructed particularly as an internal-combustion engine, and an electric energy accumulator unit constructed particularly as a battery, wherein at least one battery charge condition threshold value of the energy accumulator unit is assigned to the at least one vehicle function such that, on exceeding or falling below the battery charge condition threshold value, the assigned vehicle function can be activated. Different battery charge condition threshold values can be assigned to the at least one vehicle function as a function of the operating condition of the drive unit, the temperature of the energy accumulator, the temperature outside the vehicle, and/or the age condition of the energy accumulator unit.
As a result of the fact that different battery charge condition threshold values can be assigned to the at least one switchable vehicle function as a function of the operating condition of the drive unit, and/or as a function of the temperature of the energy accumulator, and/or as a function of the temperature outside the vehicle, and/or as a function of the age condition of the energy accumulator unit, a best-possible use of the electric energy resources can be achieved for any operating mode of the vehicle (or for any operating mode of its drive unit) with the present invention.
Different operating modes (operating conditions of the drive unit), in which different battery charge condition threshold values are assigned to the at least one switchable function for its activability, are preferred: operation with a pollutant emission that is as low as possible, operation with a drive power (also called boosting operation) that is as high as possible, or an operation with a drive comfort that is as high as possible. Depending on the selected operation, which can be manually defined by the driver or can be set automatically on the basis of the vehicle handling detected over a predefined time period, different battery charge condition threshold values are assigned to one and the same switchable function, in which case the respective function can be activated only when these threshold values are exceeded (or reached). In this case, it is unimportant whether these are functions which can be demanded (switched-on) manually by the driver or whether they are functions which are demanded automatically because of existing operating conditions.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one automatic engine stop-start function is provided for the coordination.
At any rate, in a further development of the invention, the respective battery charge condition threshold value of the function can be further developed to be variable independently of the type of the switchable function to be coordinated. The battery charge condition threshold values can preferably be varied as a function of whether a switchable function can be switched on or cannot be switched on within a predefined time period, and/or whether a switchable active function is probably switched off within a predefined time period.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.